Small business isn’t so small after all…
History of the APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC) Program
The Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) was authorized by Congress in 1985 in an effort to expand the number of businesses capable of participating in the government marketplace. Administered by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) until 2022, the program provides matching funds through cooperative agreements with state and local governments and non-profit organizations to operate Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) for the purpose of providing procurement assistance to all businesses – particularly small businesses – interested in participating in the government marketplace.
We’re here to help you succeed in the government marketplace!
Our Vision
We envision a level playing field in the government marketplace, where all businesses have equitable access to resources and support for contracting success.”
Northern California Procurement Technical Assistance Center (Norcal PTAC) is a government funded nonprofit formed to help small businesses find, bid on, and win contracts with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. Our no-cost services include one-on-one counseling, custom bid matching, training, resources, and networking opportunities.
Over ninety Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) – with over 300 local offices – form a nationwide network of more than 600 dedicated procurement professionals who work to help local businesses successfully sell their products and services to government agencies. In 2019, the PTAC network served over 54,000 clients and helped them win over $28 billion in government contracts and subcontracts.
Our Mission
Our mission is to advance entrepreneurship and economic growth through procurement technical assistance for all businesses in Northern California. We help our clients identify, obtain, and perform on prime and subcontracting opportunities with local, state, tribal and federal governments. We support all businesses in our service area, with an outreach emphasis on underserved businesses such as women, minority, LGBTQ+, and veteran owned businesses, and businesses located in low-wealth, rural, or disaster impacted areas.
Our Service Area
Before you apply, please make sure your company is located within our service area of Northern California counties:
- Del Norte
- Humboldt
- Shasta
- Siskiyou
- Trinity
- Mendocino
- Sonoma
- Napa
- Solano
- Marin
- Contra Costa
- San Francisco
- Alameda
- San Mateo
- Santa Clara
We can help businesses within these 15 counties ONLY
We help our clients with…
- Determining whether federal, state, or local contracting is right for your business
- Identifying the agencies that buy what your business sells or offers (market
research) - Registering with government procurement portals (VIPR, SAM.gov)
- Completing state and local certifications (SB, DVBE, DBE, MBE, WBE)
- Completing federal certifications (SB, 8(a), WOSB/EDWOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB/VOSB)
- Meeting requirements necessary to compete for contracts
- Interpreting complex regulations
- Reviewing bids and providing guidance and feedback on proposals
- Optimizing capabilities statements and marketing strategy
All of these services are offered to
our clients at No COST
The journey to successful procurement can be long,
but you don’t have to go at it alone!
Check below to see if you qualify for Norcal PTAC services
